Just in time for Expo Real 2018, Commsmatters spoke to PropertyEU editor in chief Judi Seebus who gave us a preview of their new #Proptech magazine, Firestarters and told us why she sees collaboration as one of the biggest trends currently affecting the #property industry.
I believe you've had a busy few weeks - please tell us what you've been up to.
PropertyEU is launching a new proptech magazine called Firestarters at the upcoming edition of Expo Real in Munich on 8-10 October.
The publication was created in response to demand from Expo Real itself and our other founding sponsor Union Investment and the growing need for guidance amidst the explosive growth of proptech startups, conferences and awards initiatives. Firestarters aims to be a beacon in the proptech jungle and provides a reality check on where the European real estate sector currently stands in terms of the acceptance and adoption of new technologies. We combine views from the establishment with a selection of the key technologies and proptech pioneers that are changing the industry.
What do you see as the biggest #trend (or trends) affecting the property market?
It is difficult to identify a single trend that stands out in terms of developments in proptech. There are so many new #technologies that are being developed and are already in use. One thing that became very clear from our discussions with industry experts is that more #innovation is on the way and that the trend is unstoppable.
A growing number of established real estate companies are investing in proptech via venture capital initiatives or by taking stakes in proptech companies. A key theme that is emerging is #collaboration: as the development of big data continues, transparency will improve and a greater need for partnerships and collaboration will ensue. Interestingly, the leading global advisors such as JLL and CBRE have already acknowledged this and are banding together on venture capital initiatives.
Who are the two or three proptech startups we should be looking out for?
The inaugural edition of Firestarters includes a selection of the early pioneers, some of which like IPD, Costar and Yardi have been around for several decades. We also look at the more established players which have emerged in recent years including Coyote, Brickvest and Stowga as well as the new kids on the block, including the 25 finalists at the Expo Real Start-up Battlefield. For a full overview of the proptech companies to watch, view the online reader at https://firestarters.eu/
